Jeremy Gleick. Photo by Peter DaSilva for The New York Times.
I’d never heard of Jeremy Gleick until this weekend. On a snowy Saturday, the first snowy day of the year, Phineas and I were snuggled up in our apartment. He in his bed with his favorite squeaky toy and me on the couch with the New York Times. There was a special education section in the paper and Jeremy Gleick was featured in an article appropriately titled “Renaissance Man.”
Several years ago, Jeremy instituted the Learning Hour in his life. Every day for 4 years he has set aside an hour every single day, no matter where he is or what’s happening in his life, to learn something new and completely unrelated to his school work. (Jeremy is a sophomore at UCLA.) He has just crossed the 1000th hour mark.
I read this article astounded at his dedication and foresight at such a young age. I found myself thinking, “Wouldn’t it be great to have that extra time?” And then I remembered my post from just a few days ago on finding time. I do have the time; what makes the difference is how I choose to use it. I write every day. I do yoga every day. I take care of my dog, teach yoga and meditation, run a nonprofit, and maintain a fulfilling social life. Is there another hour in there for something totally unrelated to all of my current projects? And if there is, wouldn’t it be better spent working on one of the projects I already have going on?
I settled in to my meditation to think about this idea, and from deep within I could feel an answer rise – “Christa, you can’t work on your business all the time.” Sometimes that little voice has a point so good I can’t ignore it. It was right – I need to give myself more of a break. And it doesn’t make me lazy and it doesn’t mean I lack commitment. It just means I’m human.
As we maintain a full-time job and try to build a side business at the same time, it’s tempting to use all our free time for work. This isn’t healthy or wise. We need to maintain a balance. We need time away, learning things that have absolutely nothing to do with any of our current work. Our bodies need rest; so do our brains and our imaginations.
Replenish the well by learning something new!